Friday, August 22, 2014

Monday, August 4, 2014

I was so sure we were having a little girl. But again, I was wrong, we had a little boy. He still doesn't have a name yet but he's perfect otherwise. He sometimes gets called Sean and other times Buddy. We have one more night to figure out the name thing before we have to go through the whole ordeal of changing a blank birth certificate and doing the Social Security stuff ourselves so we really want to get it chosen; picking names is so hard for us, always has been. That's one reason a girl would have been easier, her name was set. But that wasn't the plan, I just didn't know it. I am thrilled for this little boy in our family. I knew that the Lord would send the right spirit into our family and I still know that and am so grateful for that assurance. I am also grateful that Sean will have a brother and Joe will have two little boys to do all those scouting things with. Three boys two girls, it's just the way it should be.
So here is the story.
Last Wednesday I had contractions all day but they were not too bad and far apart. I was bummed as I had hoped a little girl would be born that day. Thursday I woke with much stronger contractions closer together. I was thrilled. I was so ready to be done being pregnant. I wasn't 100% if it was really labor or not and I had an appointment at 1115 with my OB so I kept going back and forth whether to just wait for the appointment or go to the hospital. But the thought of not getting to the hospital in time for wonderful pain management won out and so we went at 9. Of course once we got there the contractions slowed down. But they took us up and hooked me up to the monitor. And then when the nurse checked to see where I was, she announced 0, well maybe 1/2. Seriously. I was so frustrated and a little embarrassed quite frankly. How could all those contractions do NOTHING!!! I was at this same point at my appointment the week before. She kept me hooked up to the monitor and over the course of an hour or so the contractions slowed and lessened even more. But the nurse noticed the baby's heart rate decelerated during a couple contractions so she left me hooked up and called my OB. My OB knows my crazy labor history and so wanted me to stay longer and also do a contraction stress test. A CST is where pitocin is administered just to produce three contractions in ten minutes so that the baby' reaction to the contractions can be better observed. The intent was NOT to induce labor. So onto an IV I went, which is always a struggle against rolly polly veins, and it was again. I have some nice bruising to show for it but at last I was on and the pit was going, only one unit mind you. Then it was a timing game. The baby monitor slipped out of place right away and didn't pick up the first few contractions unfortunately because I would have been done in maybe 15 minutes, but after those first 15 minutes I was at a rate of three in eleven minutes, AGGHHH. Then, as it always goes, it changed on a dime.
So the CST started just about noon I think. The timing is still a bit fuzzy. And I was at 1/2 maybe. Well after an hour of the CST I finally got the three in ten, well it ended up being five or six in ten minutes at the end. So the pit was stopped. (The baby's heart rate would drop during many of the contractions.) The nurse checked to see if any progress was made towards labor, though that was NOT the goal. Well surprise surprise, not really when you factor in the pain of those later contractions, I was at 5+. Really. I thought Thank goodness. But that wasn't good because there was no standing order for an epidural and the nurse had to go call my doctor and then get the order then get the anesthisiologist, get the paper work signed and all that and I was almost at 6 which is not good for me. By this time I knew that the baby was coming, I have done labor sans epidural before and I was feeling all that pain again. I was hurting something fierce. I could barely stand the contractions. I know everyone feels them differently, I feel like my pelvis is being ripped apart and my hip joints stabbed with firey skewers. I could barely sit as I was prepped for the epidural. I could barely breathe and was getting a little tense with everyone and when the nurse pushed the baby monitor against me I wanted to scream at her because of the pain. After getting "numbed up" for the epidural and having to wait for a horrible contraction to pass I could feel it was too late for the epidural even though they continued to try and go through with it. But whether she didn't give me enough or if she didn't even try, I don't know, all I know was that there was no relief and I couldn't then relax enough to lie back on the bed.
From trying to do the epidural till birth of baby was 15 minutes. It was awful. Way worse then with Molly. This baby was bigger and the pressure was worse and it was awful. I just was so not prepared for THIS labor and delivery. Thankfully there was a need for speed and I could hear that in the doctor's voice when she said "You have to get this baby out, push". And three pushes, which was actually a lot for me, and HE was out. That was quite a surprise.
Fast forward to today, Monday. Baby boy finally has a name, Zachary Caleb. It took until today to pick it. We had a hard time picking it out. Even Sean can say Zach which is super cute. And speaking of Sean, he has been soooooo good. No problems no jealousy no issues whatsoever. I was so worried but everything has been good so far. The girls love the baby and Cassidy can't get enough touching him. Molly will come around but isn't obsessed (thankfully) and Julia is cute with him.
We are now a family of 7!!! That is NUTS.
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